A pivotal match in the Europa League group stages will take place on Thursday at Generali Arena, as Rangers and Sparta Prague look for a response following defeats on matchday two. But, which team will respond in the Czech Republic this week?
Europa League Preview
Despite suffering defeats in their most recent fixtures, both Rangers and Sparta Prague remain in prominent positions to challenge for a spot in the next round of the competition. Prague currently holds the advantage in the Group C standings, as they have won once in two fixtures to sit at the top of the table.
Rangers find themselves sitting third in the overall table, as they were unable to build on an impressive victory against Real Betis in their second match on the group schedule. But, a victory for either this week could see them end the third round of matches in Group C at the top of the standings.
Sparta Prague endured a challenging qualification campaign to reach the group stage this season, and this week’s showdown will be their seventh fixture in the competition this term. Despite drawing 0-0 in their opening match in the competition this season, their fixtures since then have resulted in 23 goals being scored, meaning an average of 4.6 have been netted.
In could be important to assess the Rangers away form in European competitions before this fixture, as they have landed just a single victory from their previous 12. In fact, they have lost seven on the bounce away from home in Europe since a 4-2 win in Germany against Borussia Dortmund in February 2022.
Sparta Prague vs Rangers Head to Head
This will be the fifth time that Rangers and Sparta Prague have collided in a European fixture. Interestingly, each of the last four have been won by the side with home field advance. Rangers have also lost four of their previous five visits to the Czech Republic, scoring just once over that period.
Sparta Prague vs Rangers Prediction
The Rangers away record in Europe would be a pressing concern ahead of this fixture, as they have struggled since a famous win in Germany in early 2022. Therefore, the solid pick looks to be to side with a home victory for Sparta Prague in the Europa League this week.
Make sure to bet on Sparta Prague vs Rangers with 22Bet!
Bet here
